Rusalkis
Contents
The Blessing of Rusalkis
Overview
Known as "Rusalka", those who bear the Blessing of Rusalkis are few and far between, due to Chrien's dislike of humans. However, even the bitter Immortal of Storms knows she needs mortal agents to get her work done, and thus was born her practice of taking those who had nothing to lose and making them her servants, giving them her Blessing. However, there is one consistent to the Rusalka, and that is that Chrien only has one Champion. The blessing manifests as an image of moving image of a hurricane on the Rusalka's torso.
Blessing
Favored
| Ability Name | Ability Description |
|---|---|
| Turbulent Waters | An ability that works on any body of water deep enough for the Rusalka to swim in, Turbulent Waters causes the water to toss and turn, rage and roar as if a storm had risen, even if the day is as clear as can be. In addition, there are strong and uncontrollable riptides under the waves. For an unskilled Rusalka, Turbelent Waters can be dangerous to use, but for the skilled, it is a dangerous and deadly ability. This is due to the fact that while the Rusalka is safe from the waters themselves, they are not immune to any effects the waters have on other things. This ability can only be used once a trial at full strength, more often if the Rusalka affects a smaller area. The power affects an area up to three nautical miles in diameter and lasts for a break. |
| Favorable Outcome | An ability that allows the Rusalka to affect the odds of things like dice rolls and card draws, or any thing of a similarly small nature, so that they fall in the Rusalka's favor. The skill can be used as many times in a row as the Rusalka desires, but each consecutive use is less likely to succeed than the one before it, though going a whole Trial without using the ability will reset it. |
| Rusalkis Skills I | The character is granted an extra three skill points which may be spent only on the following skills: Swimming, Seafaring, Torture, Polearms, Gambling, or Hunting. Any skill points granted by this Mark can break the 250 (or 100 if fast track) point cap on skills. Within these skills, the points may be spent how the pc chooses. |
| Seed of Spite | A surprisingly subtle ability for the usually operatic Chrien, Seed of Spite allows the Rusalka to plant the beginnings of a grudge in a target, a seed that can grow into a deep seated resentment and anger. Seed of Spite has been used in the past to ruin friendships, destroy loves, and topple dynasties, for such a small thing is so easily ignored. The seed is planted by touch, and will grow according to the victims natural inclinations, though the Rusalka can sort of "aim" a grudge by whispering into their hand what type of grudge they want the target to have. |
| Root of Dissent | Like Seed of Spite, Root of Dissent is a subtle skill, mainly for use in information gathering. Root of Dissent allows the Rusalka to tell what the cause of any given grudge is at any time, as well as being able to tell when someone is holding a grudge. A skill with a myriad of uses, heroic Rusalka's have used such information to heal breaches, while more villainous Rusalka's have used the knowledge to cause entire families to tear themselves apart. |
| Stormy Skies | Stormy Skies is an ability that, when activated, surrounds the Rusalka with storm clouds that then flow out from the Rusalka in a wave, allowing for a brief way to hide. The ability can be be used once five times a break, but repeated uses will cause the Rusalka to feel increasingly light headed. |
| Lucky Break | An ability that is passive in nature, Lucky Break causes random acts of good fortune to befall the Rusalka, anything from accidentally landing a perfect thrust or managing to avoid hitting hard rocks on a fall. However, this ability is random, chaotic, and out of the Rusalka's control, so many Rusalka prefer not to rely on it, especially as once it causes a good stroke of luck to happen, a bad one is certain to shortly follow. (OOC: While players can use this ability, keep in mind that abusing it will result in a loss of points and repeated offenses could be result in firmer action.) |
| Windstorm | A skill that allows the Rusalka to raise a terrible, but localized, wind against their enemies, the winds of this ability are no minor breeze, but rather a gale that can fling objects around, bend trees and collapse ships. However, not even Chrien can control the winds, so this ability can be almost as dangerous to the Rusalka as to their foes, for while the Rusalka is immune to the winds, they aren't immune to flying debris. This ability can only be used once a trial, covers an area about 500 feet in diameter and lasts for a break. |
| Spiteful Acid | The Rusalka is given the ability to launch a short range acid spray from their hands. Against most people, this acid is little more than irritating and itchy. To anyone against whom the Rusalka holds a grudge against, however, the acid will burn, the burning getting worse the more the Rusalka hates their target. The ability can be used five times a break. |
Adored
| Ability Name | Ability Description |
|---|---|
| Seeker of Spite | An ability that allows the Rusalka to trace an act of spite to it's source, Seeker of Spite can be used to allow the Rusalka to make easier use of the other spite-based abilities of Rusalkis by letting them sense when an act of spite has been performed near them and trace it to it's source. |
| Fan the Flames | A skill that is passive in nature, Fan the Flames allows the Rusalka infuse their own words so that they naturally augment the already existing spite and wrath in the people around them. However, it can not cause people to act in a specific manner, as they will still act how they choose to act, whatever that is to them. |
| Rusalkis Skills II | The character is granted an extra six skill points which may be spent only on the following skills: Swimming, Seafaring, Torture, Polearms, Gambling, or Hunting. Any skill points granted by this Mark can break the 250 (or 100 if fast track) point cap on skills. Within these skills, the points may be spent how the pc chooses. |
| Twister | The Rusalkis is able to conjure up and command man sized cyclones to send at foes. These miniature storm are drawn and send tearing along the earth towards their target, ripping up anything that gets in their way. Once the storm finds its victim, the twister will tear them through its body and hurl them out, dissipating. When the storm has taken too many things into its small cyclone body it will naturally dissipate. This ability is can be draining when used extensively. Rather than simply attack a victim, a Rusalkis can command a cyclone to instead hold them captive with powerful winds. |
| Horrific Deluge | The Rusalka causes powerful, driving rains that put out raging fires, flood rivers, and drown those who can't escape rising waters. Unlike a normal rain, however, Horrific Deluge is a power born of Chrien's anger and bitterness, and those dark emotions corrupt this downpour, causing any caught in it to be stalked by phantoms of their worst enemy. These phantoms have a physical presence and can injure the stalked and can only be defeated if the one caught in the rain lets go of their grudge. This ability can only be use once every three trials and lasts for a break. |
| Stormbearer | The spirit of a Storm is a wrathful entity. The Rusalkis can temporarily merge with a Storm spirit to take on some of that strength and power. The Rusalkis will immediately fall into a wrathful frenzy that will persist as long as the storm spirit is within them. Their form will meld with the storm itself, taking on styleized appearances relating to the storm at hand. They will become aware of all event transpiring under the radius of the storm itself and subtly have control over the direction and devastation the storm will bring. While in the radius of the storm the spirit is part of, the Stormbearer will heal at an extraordinary pace and gain resistance to any elements the storm is currently employing. The Rusalkis can cut the connection at any time, but ordinarily they will rage to exhaustion...and the spirit will leave their unconscious body. |
| Luckbringer | Like Stormbearer, Luckbringer allows the Rusalka to safely harness with a spirit, this time a spirit of luck. The Rusalkis places the luck spirit into a charm or item, something worn or held. The charm grants the Rusalkis enhanced mental capacity and an innate knowledge of when someone is cheating, at the cost of their impulse control and discipline, making them more chaotic and unreserved. The Rusalka retains the ability to sever the luck spirit from their charm. |
| Spitewalker | Another spirit-based ability, Spitewalker allows the Rusalka to safely merge with a spirit of spite. The spirit covers the Rusalkis like a scaled, living armor, and reacts to the grudges around it. If the enemy has a strong grudge against the Rusalkis, the armor grows harder and more durable. If the Rusalkis has a strong grudge against their foe, the armor grows spikes and spines. The armor reacts to whoever has the stronger grudge. The Rusalka retains the ability to split off from the spite spirit. |
| Rusalkis Familiar | The Rusalka can now summon the spirit of a large, venomous octopus. Unlike a normal cephalapod, the familiar does not require water to breath when it is active, and floats through the air like it was water. This beast is aggressive and murderous, but also as fragile as one would think an octopus to be, meaning its best used to ambush opponents. When not active, the spirit takes the form of an octopus tattoo that runs across the Rusalka's body, able to lash out at any time. While in tattoo form, the octopus naturally enhances the grappling strength of the Rusalka. When first obtained, the venom of the the octopus will merely make a target slow and groggy, but it grows stronger as the Rusalka gains more of Chrien's power. At Exalted, the venom is paralytic, and for Champions, it is lethal. |
Exalted
| Ability Name | Ability Description |
|---|---|
| Manifestation of the Storm | The sole defensive skill in Rusalkis, Manifestation of Storms channels the essence of the storm and uses it to create an shielding exoskeleton that surrounds the Rusalka. This exoskeleton mimics the Rusalka's movement, but can take a solid amount of punishment before shattering. When hit, enemies will find that the storm armor is no solid mass, but rather all the elements of a hurricane made into an armor. Raging winds surround the Rusalka, and lighting and pounding rains lace the winds, though the Rusalka feels none of this. Manifestation of Storms can only be used once a trial. |
| Rising Flood | A dangerous ability to both the Rusalka and the people around, them Rising Flood allows the user to flood any river or lake they can see, though the ocean is powerful and vast enough that even Chrien has never dared to try and cause it to flood. The reason for this is that the larger the body of water the Rusalka tries to flood, the greater the strain on their mind and body. If they don't go too far, the Rusalka can stop the flood before it kills them, but after a certain point, they lose all control and the water they raised consumes them to feed itself. The point at which it becomes too much varies based on the discipline, endurance, and meditative abilities of the Rusalka, but even the best of the Rusalka have never been able to get flood waters above three stories in a ten square mile radius. |
| Rusalkis Skills III | The character is granted an extra nine skill points which may be spent only on the following skills: Swimming, Seafaring, Torture, Polearms, Gambling, or Hunting. Any skill points granted by this Mark can break the 250 (or 100 if fast track) point cap on skills. Within these skills, the points may be spent how the pc chooses. |
| Unbreakable Grudge | An ability that allows the Rusalka to lock their target into an unbreakable grip of spite and bitterness, turning them against everyone and everything they love. This ability can only work on someone who is already holding a strong grudge, but it lasts until the Rusalka breaks their hold on their target. One with an absolute grip on who they truly are or a great deal of discipline could resist the effects, and the grudge can be cleaned out of the target by someone with the ability to effect emotions, though even then the grudge will return again and again. In addition, only one such grudge may be active at a time. |
| Spiteful Trial | The Rusalka imparts all of their anger and malice into a single person, causing everything around them to take a turn for the worse. This curse, as it might be guessed, only lasts for one trial, but it will make that trial one of the worst of the victims life. Everything that could go wrong without killing the victim will, though a clever target could avoid the worst of the social repercussions. This ability can only be used once a Cycle. |
| Great Maelstrom | A devastating, but highly limited ability, Great Maelstrom allows the Rusalka to create a massive whirlpool in any body of water big enough to sustain it. Though dangerous to any Rusalka who is not a skilled enough sailor or ship captain to safely traverse such dangerous waters, in the hands of the truly skilled, it has been used to accomplish what many would deem to be impossible, such as a single ship defeating a large group of ships, escaping pursuit by sailing perfectly against the wind after slingshotting out of the maelstrom, or other nautical feats that require a great deal of speed. This ability may only be used once a season. |
| Grudging Might | An ability that feeds of the Rusalka's own bitterness and spite, Grudging Might makes the Rusalka stronger in direct proportion to the strength of their grudge. There is no known upper limit to Grudging Might, and the strength of the Rusalka grows in direct proportion to the strength of their grudge. However, against someone the Rusalka lacks a grudge against, this ability is practically worthless. An ability that varies greatly depending on the personality of the Rusalka, but more famous bearers of Chrien's Blessing have been famous for the strength born of their spite. |
Champion
| Ability Name | Ability Description |
|---|---|
| Death Curse | So great is the Spite of a Rusalkis that their death has a kind of dangerous power to it. When the Rusalkis is marked as champion, the Ancient language imprints a single tattoo upon their skin. Upon their death, their soul can designate someone for that curse to reach. The brand of ancient language will stitch across their skin, becoming the full Condemned, Despised, and Hated curse of Rusalkis. Few Champions are so dangerous to kill in battle as a Rusalkis, whose ire and spite will follow their slayer...or the object of their hatred, till the end of their days (without the intervention of Chrien herself) |
| Demented Typhoon | A skill only granted to Chrien's Champion, as it requires the Ancient Language to activate. Demented Typhoon earned its name because it's an act that is born either out of insanity or desperation. Demented Typhoon transforms the the Rusalka into a massive hurricane, capable of leveling towns, ripping up forests, and generally causing mass destruction. The will of the Rusalka still controls the hurricane for as long as Demented Typhoon is active, however, after a Break, the Rusalka has to choose to exit the ability or they will be trapped in the form of the hurricane, never again to walk Idalos in their mortal form. In addition, after becoming trapped, the Rusalka loses control of the hurricane and it behaves like a normal storm. Once the hurricane dissipates naturally, so does the will of the Rusalka. |
The Curse of Rusalkis
As much as Chrien hates Mortals, it is very rare for her to take the trouble to actually curse someone. Partially this is due to her reclusive nature, but its largely because she usually prefers to kill Mortals who annoy her. The curse manifests as a moving symbol of furious, crashing waves on the victims torso.
Hated
The first level of Chrien's curse bestows terrible misfortune upon the Hated. A series of events will befall them daily that range from the minor and annoying to the severe and dangerous. Rarely are these forces of mishap deadly, but curiously those that are around the Hated seem to benefit from remarkably better luck than they might have otherwise had.
Despised
Those Despised by Chrien will find that they have become a magnet for storms. The Despised of Chrien have a storm created just for them that will slowly make its away across Idalos to roar and howl above and around them. Sometimes strange shapes can be seen in the clouds or in the torrents of rain that follow and the hissing of Chrien's laughter. This storm, once it arrives, only seems to grow stronger and more furious the longer the Despised takes shelter from it. Only by standing in the fury of the storm for an entire trial will the storm blow itself out and grant the Hated a reprieve of ten trials before it returns again. This, of course, is immensely dangerous.
Condemned
For those Condemned by the Immortal of Storms, her spite is given physical form. Those who are cursed ot this level will find that around water, they are haunted by the shades of their worst enemies. In the rain, these shades take physical form and actively seek to end the life of the Condemned, though they cannot enter area where the rain cannot fall.
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